Teal Swan
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Teal Swan (born Mary Teal Bosworth; June 16, 1984) is an American spiritual influencer and author.[1] A number of publications, including Eonline, The Guardian and the BBC noted that some of Swan’s teaching methods on how to manage mental health issues had been found controversial by her critics, which Swan and her supporters deny. Swan and her teachings are the subject of documentaries and podcasts.[2][3][4]
Teal Swan | |
|---|---|
Teal Swan | |
| Born | Mary Teal Bosworth June 16, 1984 Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States |
| Other names | Teal Scott |
| Occupation(s) | Public speaker and author |
| Writing career | |
| Genre | Spirituality |
| Website | tealswan |
Early life
Swan was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico on June 16, 1984 and was raised in Logan, Utah.[2] Swan has described interactions with the mental health profession in childhood.[2] In her early childhood, Swan received therapy[when?] from Barbara Snow.[5]
Career
In 2011 she released the book The Sculptor in the Sky[6] and started her YouTube channel.[citation needed] In Summer 2011, she held her first event, a "synchronization workship", at a Salt Lake City recital hall, speaking to about twenty people.[7]
In 2015, Swan was mentioned in a post by Cleveland-area columnist Regina Brett.[8]
Her teaching methods sometimes guide participants to envision their own deaths, occasionally by suicide.[9] In 2019, Lebo Diseko from BBC cited Swan's viewpoint on suicide:
"In the video Swan urges those who are feeling suicidal to seek medical help, but goes on to say that in her experience, for some people, this may not help long-term. She instead suggests that suicide be seen as "our safety net or our re-set button that's always available to us". She argues that viewing it in this way enables people to set the idea aside, and instead concentrate on what they can do to make themselves feel better in the present."[4]
In October 2020, Swan's first novel, Hunger of the Pine, was published.[10]
Documentaries
Swan was the subject of the 2017 documentary film Open Shadow: The Story of Teal Swan.[11]
In 2018, a Gizmodo podcast, The Gateway, ran a six-part series on Teal Swan and her self-help spiritual teachings on depression and how her techniques "process past trauma in order to overcome it." The host, Jennings Brown, stated that Swan was not like a regular spiritual leader in terms both of her appearance and how she markets herself.[12] As of May 2018[update], her YouTube videos had been viewed 55 million times.[13]
In May 2022, Freeform released a four-part docu-series on Swan called The Deep End.[14] The producers of the documentary followed Swan for three years, detailing the rules placed on her inner circle, and insinuating controlling and manipulative behavior.[15][16] Swan disputes her characterization in the documentary, citing deceptive practices by the filmmakers.[15]
Personal life
She is the parent to a son.[17][better source needed]
Bibliography
- Swan, Teal (2011). The Sculptor In The Sky. ISBN 978-1-456-74723-7.
- Swan, Teal (2015). Shadows Before Dawn. ISBN 978-1-401-94719-4.
- Swan, Teal (2016). The Completion Process: The Practice of Putting Yourself Back Together Again. ISBN 978-1-401-95144-3.
- Swan, Teal (2018). The Connection Process: A Spiritual Technique to Master the Art of Relationships. ISBN 978-1-480-86116-9.
- Swan, Teal (2018). The Anatomy of Loneliness: How to Find Your Way Back to Connection. ISBN 978-1-786-78197-0.
- Swan, Teal (2020). The Blind Spot Oracle Cards. ISBN 978-1-786-78389-9.
- Swan, Teal (2020). Hunger of the Pine. ISBN 978-1-786-78447-6.
- Swan, Teal (2021). The Inner Compass Deck: Follow your Northstar to Find your True Values. ISBN 978-1-786-78604-3.
- Swan, Teal (2022). How to Love Yourself: Adventures in the Dominions. ISBN 978-1-786-78700-2.
References
- ^ "About Teal Swan". Teal Swan. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Inside The Deep End: The Rise of Teal Swan and Her Controversial "Completion Process" Program". E! Online. June 26, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ Sawyer, Miranda. "The week in podcasts: The Gateway; Bikram". The Guardian. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ a b Diseko, Lebo (November 23, 2019). "The woman encouraging her followers to visualise death". BBC News.
- ^ "Gizmodo Launches 'The Gateway,' an Investigative Podcast About a Controversial Internet Spiritual Guru". Gizmodo. May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "Editor's corner: Claims of local torture cult got this editor's attention".
- ^ Gizmodo The Gateway, Ep. 2. "Origins"
- ^ "This Question Can Change Your Whole Life". Cleveland.com. January 24, 2015.
- ^ Brown, Jennings. "Internet Spiritual Guru Teal Swan Says She Isn't a Cult Leader But Has 'The Perfect Recipe For a Cult'". Gizmodo. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ . Publishersweekly.com. Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020.
- ^ "The Story Of Teal Swan". Open Shadow. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ Sawyer, Miranda (June 10, 2018). "The week in podcasts: The Gateway; Bikram". The Guardian.
- ^ "The Gateway: Teal Swan – Part 1 Catalyst". Gizmodo. May 29, 2018.
- ^ "Freeform Announces Nonfiction Slate With Three New Series" (Press release). Freeform. April 5, 2022 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ a b Kaufman, Amy (June 17, 2022). "Turn on". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Baila, Morgan (May 11, 2022). "Teal Swan Documentary Will Usher in the Summer of Cults". Vulture.
- ^ The Deep End, Ep 1
External links
- Swan's biography on WikiGlobal, The Celebrity Encyclopedia